00:00Sam Neal, the beloved actor best known for bringing Dr. Alan Grant to life in the Jurassic Park franchise, has
00:06died at the age of 78.
00:08Neal's family announced on July 13th that the actor passed away in Sydney, Australia.
00:13In a statement shared on Instagram, they said he was surrounded by loved ones and passed with dignity that has
00:18characterized his whole life.
00:20His family also revealed that his death was sudden and unexpected, adding that he had remained cancer-free following his
00:26battle with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
00:33They thanked the staff at St. Vincent's Private Hospital for their care and asked for privacy as they mourned their
00:38loss.
00:39Just two months ago, Neal shared the remarkable news that he was cancer-free after undergoing CAR T-cell therapy,
00:46an immunotherapy treatment that trains the body's T-cells to fight cancer.
00:51After chemotherapy stopped working, the actor said he feared he was on the way out, but later celebrated receiving a
00:57scan that showed no cancer in his body.
00:59I'm not in any way frightened of dying. That doesn't worry. It's never worried me from the beginning.
01:09But I would be annoyed. I'd be annoyed because there are things I still want to do. But I'm not
01:15afraid of it.
01:16Neal remained active in the months leading up to his death, attending the Sydney Film Festival in June,
01:21and sharing photos from the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame ceremony, where he celebrated artists he admired.
01:28Tributes have also begun pouring in from those who knew him best.
01:31His Dead Calm co-star, Nicole Kidman, remembered Neal as one of the greats,
01:36and said he took her under his wing when they met on set at just 18 years old.
01:41She added that they remained friends for life, calling him charming, kind, funny, and intelligent.
01:47Born in Northern Ireland in 1947, Neal moved to New Zealand as a child and built a career that spanned
01:53more than five decades and over 150 acting credits.
01:56While he became a global star as paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in 1993's Jurassic Park,
02:03he reprised the iconic role in Jurassic Park 3 and Jurassic World Dominion.
02:08His career also included standout roles in Sleeping Dogs, Dead Calm, Memoirs of an Invisible Man,
02:14and the BAFTA-winning series Peaky Blinders.
02:17More recently, he appeared in the mini-series Apples Never Fall, Untamed, and The Twelve,
02:23and he also had a role in the upcoming 2027 film Godzilla X Kong Supernova.
02:29Following the news of his death, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the actor,
02:34saying Sam Neal would be mourned and long remembered.
02:37He praised Neal's wit, dignity, and resilience,
02:40saying he faced illness with the same humor and conviction that defined his performances.
02:44Sam Neal leaves behind a remarkable legacy as one of the most respected and beloved actors of his generation.
02:51He was 78.
